The 2018 MET Awards Nominations were broadcasted on The Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Youtube Channel on Tuesday, May 29. Malden High School has received four award nominations, all for their musical production of Once on This Island.
Senior Ariana Teixeira has been nominated for Best Leading Actress for her role of the musical’s protagonist, Ti Moune.
Other nominees include junior Michelle Chan as Mama Euralie for Best Supporting Actress, junior Jenna Vanella as Andrea Deveraux for Best Featured Actress, and the whole Play Production class has been nominated for the Best Choral Ensemble.
Once On This Island is a one act musical based off a mixture of books. It’s a strong Caribbean interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, along with a mixture of magical fairytale of The Little Mermaid. The grand gist of the story is how Texteria’s character, Ti Moune, is able to bring together people of different social classes with her story of love.
“It’s very exciting,” Chan enthusiastically expressed about her nomination, “it’s definitely a first.” Chan portrayed Teixeira’s character’s adoptive mother. Mama Euralie shows the other side of Ti Moune’s story and life. As Chan expressed, “[her] character shows the cons of her journey, and a parental point of view over Ti Moune’s departure from home, and her path to following what she believes is her destiny.”
Vanella’s character, Andrea Devereaux, shows a different side of the social class spectrum. Andrea seemed to represent the upper class’s opinion on the peasant, Ti Moune. Andrea’s unaccepting nature and jealousy of Ti Moune’s relationship with Daniel Beauxhomme became a very
vital point in the story.
Teixeira expressed her joy over the news of the nomination, saying that she began to “tear up” when she received the informing text.
“[Mr. Walsh] told [her she’d] get [a nomination], but [she] brushed it off.” Teixeira told. [She] was proud that two actress that [she had] gotten the pleasure to work with were nominated but it didn’t hit [her] that [she] should be proud of [herself].”
There were about seventy three production companies in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild this year, with over five hundred acting nominations, the high school and middle school division together.
Although Play Production performed Once On This Island in November of 2017, their production continues to experience tremendous success along with having a great effect in the school environment, just as their original production Umbrella: An Exhibition had.
This year, Malden High School received the Lexus “World of Possible” Musical Improvement Grant. With that award, the class had the opportunity to perform the finale song “We Tell the Story” from Once on This Island as the opening number at the Broadway In Boston season announcement gala back in April.
When it comes to school’s impact, the Play Production class had a well working collaboration with Malden High Haitian Culture Club, which helped bring a caribbean influential touch to the musical production. “[They] really wanted to honor the Haitian culture and honor this story,” Teixeira said
As the Play Production class wraps up another fantastic year, one with many goals and achievements, they must also say goodbye to one of their class directors, Miranda Libkin. They “hope [they] find someone who can fill in her shoes, although she is irreplaceable.” Chan said. Libkin had directed their third and final production of the school year, a Greek tragedy titled The Trojan Women.
With all projects successfully accomplished, all farewell to seniors given and an anxious wait about a new director, Play Pro has had a great year. They now hopefully await for June 23rd, the day of the MET Musical Awards, looking to win several awards.
